Snare drum



C. H. STRUPE Oct. 20, 1931.

SNARE DRUM Filed Sept. 20. 1929 2 Sheets-sheet l Tm. L "1 1? X0 KW A TTORNEYS.

Oct. 20, 1931. c. H. STRUPE 1,828,083

SNARE DRUM Filed Sept. 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g INVENTOR. 41 Z (Er/A 57'RUPE. 40 Z5 I [WM A TTORNEYS,

Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CECIL H. STRUPE, OF INDIANAPOLIS; INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO LEEDY MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OFINDIANAPO IS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION SNARE DRUM Application filed September 20, 1929; Serial No. 393,297.

Ths object of this invention is to improve the construction of drums, and especially snare drums.

One feature of the invention is the construction of the shell in three sections, the

central one of which is radially enlarged, and.

head tensioning brackets being secured thereon and having shoulders near their ends overlapping the sides of the central section of the drum. Another feature of the invention consists in novel means of securing the snares to a stationary carrier; by means for holding the snares so they can be independently tenlll. sioned. 1

Another feature consists in an improved snare throw-oi! device. i

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings 39 and the following description and claims:

' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the drum. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through a side portion of the drum on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the drum showing the means for mounting the snare at one end, the remainder of the drum being broken away. Fig. 4 is a section through a portion of the drum, on line 4-4 of Fig. -3'showing said snare mounting in tightened position. Fig. 5 is the same as Fig. 4 showing said snare mounting in releasing position. Fig. 6 is a view of the drum partly inside eleva tion and partly in central vertical section, the intermediate parts of the drum being broken away, and showing the snare in operating position. Fig. 7 is the same as the right hand portion of Fig. 6 with the snare-holding means in relaxed position. Fig. 8 is an eleva-, tion of the portion of the drum shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of the stationary means for mounting one end of the snare, the snare being partly broken away.

In the construction of the drum shown in the drawings, the shell or body of the drum is unitary and formed with a. central annular enlarged portion. 10 and a reduced end portion 11 on each side of said central portion and each end portion 11 has integral with it aninwardly-extending reinforcing ring 12 over which the heads 13 are stretched by the flesh hoops 14, and counter-hoops 15. Each counter-hoop is substantially Z-shaped and composed ofan outer main annular portion of slightly greater diameter than the end portionll of the shell of the drum, as seen in Fig. 2, so as to loosely overlap the same, and

a substantially radial outwardly-extending annular portion 115 and an inward annular portion 215 surrounding the end portion 11 of the shell of the drum.

The part 115 of said counter-hoop is adapted to bear against the flesh hoop 14 and is at intervals raised or thickened somewhat to receive holes 16 for the headed screws 17 which screw into the tension brackets 18, as seen in Fig. 2. The tension bracket 18 is secured transversely of the central portion 10 of the shell by screws 20. Each bracket 18 has near each end an inwardly-extending shoulder 21 hugging the side wall of said enlarged central portion 10 of the body shell, whereby the bracket fits astride the central portion of the shell and the shoulders 21 hug the side walls of said portion of the shell.

The foregoing construction provides a simple and yet very strong means for mountingthe tension brackets and securing, tightening and holding the counter-hoops 15 and flesh hoops 14 under proper tension. The screws 17 may be independently tightened or loosened to accurately and satisfactorily stretch and hold the drum heads and the brackets fit down snugly against the shell of the drum.

A stationary snare carrier for one end of the snares consists of a bracket 26 secured to the middle portion 10 of the shell by screws 27, see Fig. 3. Bracket 26, as there shown, has a loop opposite an openingat 28 in the counter-hoop 15, which is partially cut away, as seen in Fig. 3 so the snare extends through said opening and is substantially level with the snare head. The'counter-hoop is reinforced at the opening by the U-shaped brace 29 and secured thereto by the rivets 30, so as to maintain said counter-hoop in rigid form.

The foregoing means for mounting the snares at its relatively stationary end is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. As therein appears, each snare extends through a looped lever 31 mounted on the pivot pin 33 in bracket 26 and lever 31 has an inwardlyextending shank bly held in place by a set screw i threugh the bra ket 26 as shown in F l. At its outer end each looped lever 31 has an opening 36 at which point the snare 25 is pinched and held by a cam dog 37 mounted on said pivot pin 33, as seen 111 Figs. -land 5. The notched outer end of each dog 3? frictionally engages the snare and pinees it tightly in place, as shown in Fig. In mounting to the eft through said carrier, as indicated in Fig. 5, and is tightened when pulled to the riiiht bv the snare strainer which moves the ddg 37 to pinching position, as shown in Fig. This constr ction provides each snare with individual pendently adyustab li lder ant each is indeiv a screw so that I n a uniform tension.

in illustrated in FICQS. 6, '4' and 8, the ends of the snares 25 are secured to a snare carrier L0 which is a plate provided with notches in its margin for said strands and with holes 41 through which the ends thereof are threaded. Plate $0 is pivotally mounted on pin 42 i the outer end of a pair of links 453 which are pivoted on the upper ends of a pair of arms M that are secured by screws to the reduced end 11 of he shell. In the particular construction shown, the end of plate 40 is reduced in wid h and secured on a plate 46 between the side ears l? thereof and under lips so as to be rigidly connected with said plate 4-6. The pivot pin 4-2 extends through said i? and through the widened end of a connecting member 50. At its other end said connecting member 56 is pivoted by the pin 5]. to one end of a to. gie lever 52 which is pivoted between its ends at 53 in bearing secured on the shell of the drum, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7.

The toggle lever 52 and the connecting member 50 thus so mounted that when the lever mo ed manually toward the body of the drum, as seen in i 6, the toggle member and also the links 4:?) pass their pivotal centers and serve to put the snares under strain and automatically hold the same against the snar head of the drum. ll hen said toggle lever and lin" 43 are thus drawn bcyond their pivotal ce -ey will remain in that position b reason of tae .:.;rain until they are manually moved from the position shown in 6 to that shown in Fig. 7 when the toggle lever and linlzs pass to the other side of their pivotal centers and more the end tare wi h which hey connected s from the snare ii e ti ewith throng out the full length of the snare, although the other end of the snare is mounted in llXGCl position.

e116 snares each strand is pulled To facilitate the movement of said par to put the snares under strain, as in Fig. 6, or to relax them as in Fig. 7, the toggle lever 52 is provided with a longitudinally adjustable finger piece 60 which loosely extends in a central hole through the toggle lever and is held in place by a set screw 61. By this means the toggle lever 52 is lengthened to any desired adjustment. If it be short, as shown in Fig. 8, the drummer can throw the snare strainer by hand, but ordinarily the drummer lengthens the toggle lever 52 so that the finger piece 60 will project considerably beyond the edge of the drum where he can hit the piece 60 with his drum stick and move it into the position shown in Fig. 6 or that shown in Fig. 7. This enables'a drummer to put his snares under strain or release it instantly the drum.

The snares are individually put under tension at the stationary end thereof by the means illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 so that they will be substantially uniform and this is done while the snare strainer is in relaxed position as shown in Fig. 7. After the strands have been thus brought into uniform tension, the snare strainer is operated, which not only moves the snares against the snare head, but simultaneously increases the tension or strain thereof, by the movement of links 43. The tension of the snares is regulated and increased if desired, by an adjusting screw 62 that extends longitudinally through a portion of the connecting member 50, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7 and through :1 lug 63 thereof which is threaded and bears against the inwardlybent end of plate 46 so as to tilt plate *6 and the snareconnecting plate 40 on the pivot rod 42;

The two movements of the snare trainer shown in Figs. 6 and 7 are limited by the opposite edges of the stop plate 65 on toggle lever 52 engaging the plate 64 which carries the cars 54 to which the toggle lever is pivoted, as shown. hen the snare is not under strain, as shown in Fig. 7, the lower corner of stop plate 65 is in engagement with plate 64. lVhen the snare strainer is operated to tighten the snares as in Fig. 6, the upper corner of stop plate 65 is in engagement with the plate-64. The snare strainer is held ordinarily tightly in either of its positions by the strain or pull of the snare and the fact that the links 43 and the toggle lever are at one sideor the other of their pivotal centers, as

shown. The stop plate 65 is so formed that moved from the relaxed position to the strained position, which is very desirable.

In Fig. 9 a modified form is shown of a stationary means for mounting one end of the snares, in it there is a stationary bracket 126 secured to the shell of the drum with its head projecting on substantially the same level as the snare head of the drum, and said head is centrally recessed for receiving the snares in parallel form and the snares are clamped on the head by a clamp 226 held thereon by screws 227 substantially as shown. The inner face of said clamp 226 is preferably longitudinally corrugated for gripping the snares.

The invention claimed is:

1. A drum having snares, adjustable levers side by side with which the ends of the snares are individually attached, and a screw for adjusting each lever, whereby the snares may be independently tensioned, substantially as set forth.

2. A drum having snares, adjustable levers, a knurled dog pivoted adjacent to each lever and cooperating therewith for en gaging and holding the end of a snare, and a screw for adjusting each lever, whereby the snares may be independently tensioned, substantially as set forth.

3. A drum having snares, a stationary bracket, adjustablelevers pivotally mounted between their ends in said bracket, a knurled dog pivoted adjacent to each lever and cooperating therewith for engaging and holding the end of a snare, and a screw in said bracket for adjusting each lever, whereby the snares may be independently tensioned, substantially as set forth.

4:. A drum having snares, a stationary bracket, adjustable levers pivotally mounted between their ends in said bracket and one end of each lever being looped to receive the end of a snare, a knurled dog in the loop of each lever and piy'oted coaxially therewith and long enough for the end of a snare to be clamped between said dog and looped end of the lever, and screws in the bracket for individually adjusting each lever, whereby the snares may be independently tensioned, sub stantially as set forth.

5. A. drum having snares, an adjustable snare throw-off device for controlling one end of the drum snares, a series of adjustable levers to which the opposite ends of the move across their pivotal centers during the operation of the snare throw-ofl' device.

7. A snare throw-ofi' device for a snare drum including a rigid member to which the snares are attached, means including links on which said member is pivoted between its ends, a toggle lever pivoted to the other end of said member, said member and toggle lever extending transversely of the shell and the mounting arranged so that the links and toggle will be substantially parallel and have the same movement and similarly pass be yond the pivotal centers thereof, and means for stopping the movements of the snare throw-ofi' device in each direction.

8. A drum having a shell formed of three sections, one section being centrally and radially enlarged and each of the other sections being radially reduced and secured to and extending from the respective sides of the central section, brackets extending transversely on said central section and having near each end inwardly extending shoulders overlapping the sides of said central section, screws for securing said brackets through said central section, and head tensioning means secured and tightened by screws entering the ends of said brackets, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

CECIL H. STRUPE.

snares are individually attached, and screws for adjusting said levers individually, whereby the snares may be independently adjusted for tension, substantially as set forth.

6. A snare throw-off device for drums ineluding a rigid member to one end of which the snares are attached, links to which said member is pivoted bet-ween its ends, and a toggle lever pivoted to the other end of said member, their arrangement being such that said links and toggle lever simultaneously 

